State

Not only is the verb to state overused, it is often misused. Personally, I find it the dullest word in the English language, rivaled only by "nice" and "awsome".

A statement is what you give the police. It has connotations of an official declaration. Please do not say that a writer "states" something merely because he has said it, or mentioned it. You state a belief, a position. I would prefer never again  to see this word in an essay.

Try some other verbs. I have listed several under the post titled Essay verbs.

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